Sharks trade Nico Sturm to Panthers
The San Jose Sharks traded forward Nico Sturm and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round selection, the teams announced Thursday.
Sturm is a pending unrestricted free agent and carries a $2-million cap hit.
The 29-year-old has scored seven goals and 13 points in 47 games this season while averaging a little more than 10 minutes of ice time per contest. He's also dominant on faceoffs, winning 62.7% of his draws this campaign and 60.1% last season.
Sturm also won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, logging two assists in 13 playoff games.
The German native has totaled 46 goals and 91 points in 316 career NHL games, split between the Minnesota Wild, Avalanche, and Sharks.
This is the second deal the Panthers have made with the Sharks in as many days. Florida also acquired goaltender Vitek Vanecek from San Jose for forward Patrick Giles on Wednesday.
The reigning Cup champions still have $4.1 million in deadline cap space at their disposal, according to PuckPedia.